Electronic device for providing AP list and method for operating electronic device

ABSTRACT

An electronic device and method are disclosed herein. The electronic device includes a communication module, a display, a memory and a processor which implements the method. The method includes receiving access point (AP) information from at least one AP through the communication module, generating an AP list including an AP communicatively connectable with the electronic device based on the received AP information, storing the AP list in the memory, identifying a state of the electronic device, determining an arrangement criterion for arranging a display order of Aps included in the AP list based on state information about the electronic device, and controlling the display to arrange the AP list according to the determined arrangement criterion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/545,350, filed on Aug. 20, 2019 which is based on and claims priorityunder 35 U.S.C. 119 to Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2018-0102157,filed on Aug. 29, 2018, and 10-2019-0098315, filed on Aug. 12, 2019 inthe Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which isherein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND 1) Field

Certain embodiments of the disclosure relate to an electronic device forproviding an access point (AP) list and a method for operating theelectronic device.

2) Description of Related Art

Various electronic devices, such as a smartphone, a tablet personalcomputer (PC), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a personal digitalassistant (PDA), a laptop PC, and a wearable device, are now widelyused.

Various electronic devices may support short-range wirelesscommunication modes, such as wireless fidelity (WI-FI™), BLUETOOTH™, orZIGBEE™.

Among short-range wireless communication technologies, WI-FI™ is aprotocol supporting a wireless connection between an access point (AP)and an electronic device and can utilize various types of carrierfrequencies to perform communication between the AP and the electronicdevice. For example, WI-FI™ includes a plurality of standards includingIEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, and IEEE 802.11n.

Further, in performing wireless communication using WI-FI™ technologybetween an AP and an electronic device, wireless communication can beperformed using a bandwidth corresponding to an allocated channel.

The user of an electronic device can select an AP for connection fromamong an AP list, including at least one AP connectable with theelectronic device. The electronic device can establish a connection withthe selected AP and perform data transmission and reception using anetwork service provided by the selected AP.

The above information is presented as background information only toassist with an understanding of the disclosure. No determination hasbeen made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the abovemight be applicable as prior art with regard to the disclosure.

SUMMARY

An electronic device may provide an AP list including at least oneselectable AP for a user to select an AP to connect with the electronicdevice. The AP list may include identifier information (service setidentifier: SSID) about APs, information about the strength of a signaltransmitted by an AP (received signal strength indicator: RSSI), andinformation indicating whether security is enabled on an AP.

The AP list may be provided for the user by listing the APs according tothe signal strength of APs or in alphabetical order of AP identifiers.

Since the AP list is arranged according to the signal strength of APs orin alphabetical order of AP identifiers without considering stateinformation about the electronic device, an AP other than an AP actuallyrequired for the user may be listed before the actually required AP.

An electronic device according to certain embodiments of the disclosuremay include: at least one communication module, a display, a memory, anda processor operatively coupled to the communication module, thedisplay, and the memory, the processor configured to: receive accesspoint (AP) information from at least one AP through the communicationmodule, generate an AP list including an AP communicatively connectablewith the electronic device based on the received AP information, storethe AP list in the memory, identify a state of the electronic device,determine an arrangement criterion for arranging a display order of APsincluded in the AP list based on state information about the electronicdevice, and control the display to display the AP list using anarrangement set according to the determined arrangement criterion. Anelectronic device according to certain embodiments of the disclosure mayinclude at least one communication module, a display, a memory, and aprocessor operatively coupled to the communication module, the display,and the memory, the processor configured to: receive access point (AP)information about at least one AP communicatively connectable with theelectronic device through the communication module, display an AP listbased on the received AP information, detect a change in a state of theelectronic device, determine an arrangement criterion for the AP listupon detecting the change in the state of the electronic device, andcontrol the display to display the AP list using a display order setaccording to the determined arrangement criterion.

An operating method of an electronic device according to certainembodiments of the disclosure may include: receiving access point (AP)information about at least one AP communicatively connectable with theelectronic device through a communication module, generating an AP listcomprising the AP communicatively connectable with the electronic devicebased on the received AP information, and storing the generated AP listin a memory, identifying state information about the electronic device,determining an arrangement criterion for arranging a display order ofAPs included in the AP list based on the identified state information,changing the display order of APs in the AP list based on the determinedarrangement criterion, and displaying the AP list on a display.

An electronic device and an operating method of an electronic device forproviding an AP list according to certain embodiments may determine anarrangement criterion for an AP list on the basis of state informationabout the electronic device, thus providing an AP list arrangeddifferently depending on the state information.

An electronic device for providing an AP list according to certainembodiments may provide an AP list suitable for the state of theelectronic device on the basis of state information about the electronicdevice, thus efficiently providing information about an AP suitable fora situation encountered by a user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the disclosure and its advantages,reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numeralsrepresent like parts:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device according tocertain embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a program according to certainembodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device according tocertain embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 4A illustrates an example of an AP list in an electronic deviceaccording to certain embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 4B illustrates an example of an AP list in an electronic deviceaccording to certain embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of an AP list for proposing a connectionto a network other than a currently connected network in an electronicdevice according to certain embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 6A illustrates various modes of displaying an AP list in anelectronic device according to certain embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 6B illustrates various modes of displaying an AP list in anelectronic device according to certain embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 6C illustrates various modes of displaying an AP list in anelectronic device according to certain embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 6D illustrates various modes of displaying an AP list in anelectronic device according to certain embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 7A illustrates an example in which an electronic device displays anAP list generated on the basis of AP information received from anexternal server according to certain embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 7B illustrates an example in which an electronic device displays anAP list generated on the basis of AP information received from anexternal server according to certain embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 7C illustrates an example in which an electronic device displays anAP list displays an AP list generated on the basis of AP informationreceived from an external server, further including informationregarding an open access point;

FIG. 8 illustrates an example in which an electronic device displays agenerated AP list on an external electronic device connected with theelectronic device according to certain embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operating method of an electronicdevice according to certain embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 10 illustrates an example of displaying a network list forconnecting to a different network in an operating method of anelectronic device according to certain embodiments of the disclosure;and

FIG. 11 illustrates an example in which an AP list is changed dependingon a change in the state of an electronic device in an operating methodof an electronic device according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device 101 in anetwork environment 100 according to certain embodiments. Referring toFIG. 1 , the electronic device 101 in the network environment 100 maycommunicate with an electronic device 102 via a first network 198 (e.g.,a short-range wireless communication network), or an electronic device104 or a server 108 via a second network 199 (e.g., a long-rangewireless communication network). According to an embodiment, theelectronic device 101 may communicate with the electronic device 104 viathe server 108. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101may include a processor 120, memory 130, an input device 150, a soundoutput device 155, a display device 160, an audio module 170, a sensormodule 176, an interface 177, a haptic module 179, a camera module 180,a power management module 188, a battery 189, a communication module190, a subscriber identification module (SIM) 196, or an antenna module197. In some embodiments, at least one (e.g., the display device 160 orthe camera module 180) of the components may be omitted from theelectronic device 101, or one or more other components may be added inthe electronic device 101. In some embodiments, some of the componentsmay be implemented as single integrated circuitry. For example, thesensor module 176 (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or anilluminance sensor) may be implemented as embedded in the display device160 (e.g., a display).

The processor 120 may execute, for example, software (e.g., a program140) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware orsoftware component) of the electronic device 101 coupled with theprocessor 120, and may perform various data processing or computation.According to an embodiment, as at least part of the data processing orcomputation, the processor 120 may load a command or data received fromanother component (e.g., the sensor module 176 or the communicationmodule 190) in volatile memory 132, process the command or the datastored in the volatile memory 132, and store resulting data innon-volatile memory 134. According to an embodiment, the processor 120may include a main processor 121 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)or an application processor (AP)), and an auxiliary processor 123 (e.g.,a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), asensor hub processor, or a communication processor (CP)) that isoperable independently from, or in conjunction with, the main processor121. Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary processor 123 may beadapted to consume less power than the main processor 121, or to bespecific to a specified function. The auxiliary processor 123 may beimplemented as separate from, or as part of the main processor 121.

The auxiliary processor 123 may control at least some of functions orstates related to at least one component (e.g., the display device 160,the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190) among thecomponents of the electronic device 101, instead of the main processor121 while the main processor 121 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state,or together with the main processor 121 while the main processor 121 isin an active state (e.g., executing an application). According to anembodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., an image signal processoror a communication processor) may be implemented as part of anothercomponent (e.g., the camera module 180 or the communication module 190)functionally related to the auxiliary processor 123.

The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component(e.g., the processor 120 or the sensor module 176) of the electronicdevice 101. The various data may include, for example, software (e.g.,the program 140) and input data or output data for a command relatedthereto. The memory 130 may include the volatile memory 132 or thenon-volatile memory 134.

The program 140 may be stored in the memory 130 as software, and mayinclude, for example, an operating system (OS) 142, middleware 144, oran application 146.

The input device 150 may receive a command or data to be used by othercomponent (e.g., the processor 120) of the electronic device 101, fromthe outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device 101. The inputdevice 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard,or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

The sound output device 155 may output sound signals to the outside ofthe electronic device 101. The sound output device 155 may include, forexample, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for generalpurposes, such as playing multimedia or playing record, and the receivermay be used for an incoming calls. According to an embodiment, thereceiver may be implemented as separate from, or as part of the speaker.

The display device 160 may visually provide information to the outside(e.g., a user) of the electronic device 101. The display device 160 mayinclude, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector andcontrol circuitry to control a corresponding one of the display,hologram device, and projector. According to an embodiment, the displaydevice 160 may include touch circuitry adapted to detect a touch, orsensor circuitry (e.g., a pressure sensor) adapted to measure theintensity of force incurred by the touch.

The audio module 170 may convert a sound into an electrical signal andvice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 may obtainthe sound via the input device 150, or output the sound via the soundoutput device 155 or a headphone of an external electronic device (e.g.,an electronic device 102) directly (e.g., wiredly) or wirelessly coupledwith the electronic device 101.

The sensor module 176 may detect an operational state (e.g., power ortemperature) of the electronic device 101 or an environmental state(e.g., a state of a user) external to the electronic device 101, andthen generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to thedetected state. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 mayinclude, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmosphericpressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gripsensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, abiometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or anilluminance sensor.

The interface 177 may support one or more specified protocols to be usedfor the electronic device 101 to be coupled with the external electronicdevice (e.g., the electronic device 102) directly (e.g., wiredly) orwirelessly. According to an embodiment, the interface 177 may include,for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universalserial bus (USB) interface, a secure digital (SD) card interface, or anaudio interface.

A connecting terminal 178 may include a connector via which theelectronic device 101 may be physically connected with the externalelectronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102). According to anembodiment, the connecting terminal 178 may include, for example, a HDMIconnector, a USB connector, a SD card connector, or an audio connector(e.g., a headphone connector).

The haptic module 179 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanicalstimulus (e.g., a vibration or a movement) or electrical stimulus whichmay be recognized by a user via his tactile sensation or kinestheticsensation. According to an embodiment, the haptic module 179 mayinclude, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electricstimulator.

The camera module 180 may capture a still image or moving images.According to an embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one ormore lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

The power management module 188 may manage power supplied to theelectronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the power managementmodule 188 may be implemented as at least part of, for example, a powermanagement integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery 189 may supply power to at least one component of theelectronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the battery 189 mayinclude, for example, a primary cell which is not rechargeable, asecondary cell which is rechargeable, or a fuel cell.

The communication module 190 may support establishing a direct (e.g.,wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel betweenthe electronic device 101 and the external electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 102, the electronic device 104, or the server 108) andperforming communication via the established communication channel. Thecommunication module 190 may include one or more communicationprocessors that are operable independently from the processor 120 (e.g.,the application processor (AP)) and supports a direct (e.g., wired)communication or a wireless communication. According to an embodiment,the communication module 190 may include a wireless communication module192 (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wirelesscommunication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS)communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (e.g., a localarea network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication(PLC) module). A corresponding one of these communication modules maycommunicate with the external electronic device via the first network198 (e.g., a short-range communication network, such as BLUETOOTH™,wireless-fidelity (WI-FI™) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA))or the second network 199 (e.g., a long-range communication network,such as a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g.,LAN or wide area network (WAN)). These various types of communicationmodules may be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single chip),or may be implemented as multi components (e.g., multi chips) separatefrom each other. The wireless communication module 192 may identify andauthenticate the electronic device 101 in a communication network, suchas the first network 198 or the second network 199, using subscriberinformation (e.g., international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI))stored in the subscriber identification module 196.

The antenna module 197 may transmit or receive a signal or power to orfrom the outside (e.g., the external electronic device) of theelectronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the antenna module197 may include an antenna including a radiating element implemented ofa conductive material or a conductive pattern formed in or on asubstrate (e.g., PCB). According to an embodiment, the antenna module197 may include a plurality of antennas. In such a case, at least oneantenna appropriate for a communication scheme used in the communicationnetwork, such as the first network 198 or the second network 199, may beselected, for example, by the communication module 190 (e.g., thewireless communication module 192) from the plurality of antennas. Thesignal or the power may then be transmitted or received between thecommunication module 190 and the external electronic device via theselected at least one antenna. According to an embodiment, anothercomponent (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other thanthe radiating element may be additionally formed as part of the antennamodule 197.

At least some of the above-described components may be coupled mutuallyand communicate signals (e.g., commands or data) therebetween via aninter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, general purposeinput and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobileindustry processor interface (MIPI)).

According to an embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted orreceived between the electronic device 101 and the external electronicdevice 104 via the server 108 coupled with the second network 199. Eachof the electronic devices 102 and 104 may be a device of a same type as,or a different type, from the electronic device 101. According to anembodiment, all or some of operations to be executed at the electronicdevice 101 may be executed at one or more of the external electronicdevices 102, 104, or 108. For example, if the electronic device 101should perform a function or a service automatically, or in response toa request from a user or another device, the electronic device 101,instead of, or in addition to, executing the function or the service,may request the one or more external electronic devices to perform atleast part of the function or the service. The one or more externalelectronic devices receiving the request may perform the at least partof the function or the service requested, or an additional function oran additional service related to the request, and transfer an outcome ofthe performing to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101may provide the outcome, with or without further processing of theoutcome, as at least part of a reply to the request. To that end, acloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computingtechnology may be used, for example.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram 200 illustrating the program 140 according tocertain embodiments. According to an embodiment, the program 140 mayinclude an operating system (OS) 142 to control one or more resources ofthe electronic device 101, middleware 144, or an application 146executable in the OS 142. The OS 142 may include, for example, Android™,iOS™, Windows™, Symbian™, Tizen™, or Bada™. At least part of the program140, for example, may be pre-loaded on the electronic device 101 duringmanufacture, or may be downloaded from or updated by an externalelectronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102 or 104, or the server108) during use by a user.

The OS 142 may control management (e.g., allocating or deallocation) ofone or more system resources (e.g., process, memory, or power source) ofthe electronic device 101. The OS 142, additionally or alternatively,may include one or more driver programs to drive other hardware devicesof the electronic device 101, for example, the input device 150, thesound output device 155, the display device 160, the audio module 170,the sensor module 176, the interface 177, the haptic module 179, thecamera module 180, the power management module 188, the battery 189, thecommunication module 190, the subscriber identification module 196, orthe antenna module 197.

The middleware 144 may provide various functions to the application 146such that a function or information provided from one or more resourcesof the electronic device 101 may be used by the application 146. Themiddleware 144 may include, for example, an application manager 201, awindow manager 203, a multimedia manager 205, a resource manager 207, apower manager 209, a database manager 211, a package manager 213, aconnectivity manager 215, a notification manager 217, a location manager219, a graphic manager 221, a security manager 223, a telephony manager225, or a voice recognition manager 227.

The application manager 201, for example, may manage the life cycle ofthe application 146. The window manager 203, for example, may manage oneor more graphical user interface (GUI) resources that are used on ascreen. The multimedia manager 205, for example, may identify one ormore formats to be used to play media files, and may encode or decode acorresponding one of the media files using a codec appropriate for acorresponding format selected from the one or more formats. The resourcemanager 207, for example, may manage the source code of the application146 or a memory space of the memory 130. The power manager 209, forexample, may manage the capacity, temperature, or power of the battery189, and determine or provide related information to be used for theoperation of the electronic device 101 based at least in part oncorresponding information of the capacity, temperature, or power of thebattery 189. According to an embodiment, the power manager 209 mayinterwork with a basic input/output system (BIOS) (not shown) of theelectronic device 101.

The database manager 211, for example, may generate, search, or change adatabase to be used by the application 146. The package manager 213, forexample, may manage installation or update of an application that isdistributed in the form of a package file. The connectivity manager 215,for example, may manage a wireless connection or a direct connectionbetween the electronic device 101 and the external electronic device.The notification manager 217, for example, may provide a function tonotify a user of an occurrence of a specified event (e.g., an incomingcall, message, or alert). The location manager 219, for example, maymanage locational information on the electronic device 101. The graphicmanager 221, for example, may manage one or more graphic effects to beoffered to a user or a user interface related to the one or more graphiceffects.

The security manager 223, for example, may provide system security oruser authentication. The telephony manager 225, for example, may managea voice call function or a video call function provided by theelectronic device 101. The voice recognition manager 227, for example,may transmit a user's voice data to the server 108, and receive, fromthe server 108, a command corresponding to a function to be executed onthe electronic device 101 based at least in part on the voice data, ortext data converted based at least in part on the voice data. Accordingto an embodiment, the middleware 244 may dynamically delete someexisting components or add new components. According to an embodiment,at least part of the middleware 144 may be included as part of the OS142 or may be implemented as another software separate from the OS 142.

The application 146 may include, for example, a home application 251,dialer application 253, short message service (SMS)/multimedia messagingservice (MMS) 255, instant message (IM) application 257, browserapplication 259, camera application 261, alarm application 263, contactapplication 265, voice recognition application 267, email application269, calendar application 271, media player application 273, albumapplication 275, watch application 277, health application 279 (e.g.,for measuring the degree of workout or biometric information, such asblood sugar), or environmental information application 281 (e.g., formeasuring air pressure, humidity, or temperature information)application. According to an embodiment, the application 146 may furtherinclude an information exchanging application (not shown) that iscapable of supporting information exchange between the electronic device101 and the external electronic device. The information exchangeapplication, for example, may include a notification relay applicationadapted to transfer designated information (e.g., a call, message, oralert) to the external electronic device or a device managementapplication adapted to manage the external electronic device. Thenotification relay application may transfer notification informationcorresponding to an occurrence of a specified event (e.g., receipt of anemail) at another application (e.g., the email application 269) of theelectronic device 101 to the external electronic device. Additionally oralternatively, the notification relay application may receivenotification information from the external electronic device and providethe notification information to a user of the electronic device 101.

The device management application may control the power (e.g., turn-onor turn-off) or the function (e.g., adjustment of brightness,resolution, or focus) of the external electronic device or somecomponent thereof (e.g., a display device or a camera module of theexternal electronic device). The device management application,additionally or alternatively, may support installation, delete, orupdate of an application running on the external electronic device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device according tocertain embodiments of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the electronic device 300 (e.g., the electronicdevice 101 of FIG. 1 ) according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure may include a communication module 310, a processor 320, adisplay 330, and a memory 340.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the communicationmodule 310 may transmit and receive data to and from an externalelectronic device (not shown). The communication module 310 may use anetwork provided by an access point (AP) in order to transmit andreceive data to and from an external electronic device (not shown). TheAP may provide a short-range communication network (local area network:LAN). For example, the AP may provide the electronic device 300 withvarious short-range communication networks, such as a WI-FI™ network anda ZIGBEE™ network.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the communicationmodule 310 may receive AP information from the AP in order to connectwith the AP. The AP may broadcast a beacon frame every preset periodusing a communication channel used by the AP. The beacon frame mayinclude the AP information. The AP information may include variouspieces of information about the AP including at least some of a serviceset identifier (SSID), a basic SSID (BSSID), a media access control(MAC) address, a frequency band, and channel bandwidth information ofthe AP, location information about the AP, and quality of service (QoS)control information. The communication module 310 may receive the beaconframe broadcast by the AP. The AP information received by thecommunication module 310 may be used for connection with the AP.According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the communicationmodule 310 may transmit a signal for requesting AP information to aparticular AP or may broadcast the signal to an unspecified AP under thecontrol of the processor 320. At least one AP located around theelectronic device 300 may transmit a beacon frame including APinformation to the electronic device 300 upon receiving the signal forrequesting the AP information.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the communicationmodule 310 may receive the AP information from an external server (e.g.,the server 108 of FIG. 1 ). The external server 108 may manage at leastone piece of AP information. The external server 108 may collect the APinformation from a plurality of electronic devices having accessed theAP. The external server 108 may generate and manage AP information usingthe collected information. The external server 108 may transmitadditional information stored and processed by the external server 108to the electronic device 300 in response to a request for AP informationfrom the electronic device 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice 300 may receive the AP information and the additional informationtransmitted by the external server 108. The additional informationstored and processed by the external server 108 may include at least onepiece of information among network quality information about the AP,location information about the AP, or information indicating whether toset encryption of the AP.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice 300 may also receive information utilized for connection to theAP (e.g., a password or ID) from the external server 108.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the additionalinformation received by the electronic device 300 from the externalserver 108 may include information about a location at which the AP isinstalled, information about a store in which the AP is installed, theaverage upload or download speed of the network provided by the AP,payment information about the network provided by the AP, qualityinformation about the network provided by the AP, the presence of anauthentication procedure for using the network provided by the AP, ornetwork congestion information. The additional information received bythe electronic device 300 from the external server 108 may include thetime for which a connection between each of a plurality of electronicdevices and the AP is maintained or various pieces of information (e.g.,the congestion of a place where the AP is located or the popularity of aplace where the AP is located) obtained from the time for which theconnection is maintained.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the communicationmodule 310 may receive AP information from an external electronicdevice. The external electronic device may be an external electronicdevice used by the same user of the electronic device 300 (or used withthe same account). The communication module 310 may transmit a requestfor AP information stored by the external electronic device to theexternal electronic device used by the same user and may receive the APinformation transmitted by the external electronic device. According toan embodiment, the AP information stored by the external electronicdevice may be shared with the electronic device 300 through the externalserver 108 (e.g., a cloud server or an account management server). Theprocessor 320 may generate or change an AP list on the basis of the APinformation transmitted from the external server 108 or the externalelectronic device.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the AP informationreceived by the communication module 310 may be stored in the memory 340(e.g., the memory 130 of FIG. 1 ). The AP information stored in thememory 340 may include at least some of an SSID, a BSSID, and an MACaddress of each AP, frequency information of the AP, frequency bandinformation of the AP, information about a channel that the AP canprovide, a password for access to the AP, information about whether theAP is encrypted, or the additional information received from theexternal server 108. APs included in the AP information may refer to anAP having a history of connection to the electronic device 300 or havinga history of retrieval by the electronic device 300. The AP informationstored in the memory 340 may be stored in various forms including a listtype under the control of the processor 320 and may be updated under thecontrol of the processor 320.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may generate an AP list, which is a list of APs to which the electronicdevice 300 can connect, using the AP information stored in the memory340. The processor 320 may control the display 330 to display thegenerated AP list. When receiving a user input to select one AP fromamong one or more APs included in the AP, the processor 320 may controlthe communication module 310 to connect to the selected AP.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may identify the state of the electronic device 300 and may determine acriterion for arranging the AP list on the basis of state informationabout the electronic device 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the stateinformation about the electronic device 300 may include informationindicating whether an AP to which the electronic device 300 can connectis located near the electronic device 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may store information about APs having a history of connection in thememory 340. The information about the APs may include at least some ofthe SSID of an AP, security type information about an AP (e.g. varioussecurity types including an open type indicating that an AP is availablewithout authentication, a phase shift keying type, and a wiredequivalent privacy (WEP) type), a password required to use an AP,information about a channel provided by an AP (e.g., the bandwidth of achannel), or information about a carrier network provided by a mobilenetwork operator.

The processor 320 may receive AP information transmitted by at least oneAP located nearby and may identify whether there is an AP having ahistory of connection using the AP information and information about anAP having a history of connection stored in the memory 340. Theprocessor 320 may determine that there is a connectable AP on the basisof whether there is an AP having a history of connection. When there isan AP having a history of connection, the processor 320 may control thecommunication module 310 to connect to the AP having the history ofconnection using the information about the APs stored in the memory 340.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the stateinformation about the electronic device 300 may include locationinformation about the electronic device 300. The processor 320 maycompare the identified location information about the electronic device300 with location information about the location of the APs included inthe AP information stored in the memory 340. The processor 320 mayidentify APs located within a preset distance from the current locationof the electronic device 300. When determining that there is an APwithin the preset distance from the current location of the electronicdevice 300, the processor 320 may determine that there is a connectableAP. When determining that there is no AP within the preset distance fromthe current location of the electronic device 300, the processor 320 maydetermine that the electronic device 300 is in a new place where theelectronic device 300 has never connected to a local area network.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may identify the location of the electronic device 300 using a positionsensor (e.g., the sensor module 176 of FIG. 1 ) included in theelectronic device 300. The position sensor may include a globalpositioning system (GPS) sensor or a global navigation satellite system(GNSS) sensor. The processor 320 may also identify the current locationof the electronic device 300 using geofencing of zoning a locationmeasured by the position sensor 176. Geofencing may refer to a techniquefor identifying the current location of the electronic device 300 on thebasis of the entry of the electronic device 300 to an area enclosed by avirtual fence. When determining that the electronic device 300 is notlocated in any area enclosed by a virtual fence stored in the electronicdevice 300, the processor 320 may determine that the electronic device300 is in a new place where the electronic device 300 has neverconnected to a local area network.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may also identify the location of the electronic device 300 usingvarious communication methods (e.g., BLUETOOTH™, WI-FI™,LI-FI™, NFC, orRFID™) supportable by the communication module 310 other than theposition sensor 176. The processor 320 may identify the locationmeasured using the communication module 310 and may determine that theelectronic device 300 is in a new place where the electronic device 300has never connected to a local area network.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the stateinformation about the electronic device 300 may include roaminginformation about the electronic device 300. Roaming of the electronicdevice 300 may indicate a state in which a network operator to which theelectronic device 300 subscribes does not correspond to a networkoperator currently available to the electronic device 300. Theelectronic device 300 may enter a state in which it is possible to use anetwork service provided by a different network operator in a state inwhich a network operator set in a subscriber identification module(e.g., the subscriber identification module 196 of FIG. 1 ) of theelectronic device 300 cannot provide a network service. A roaming statemay indicate a state in which the electronic device 300 can use anetwork service provided by a network operator other than the networkoperator to which the electronic device 300 subscribes.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may identify identifier information about a network to which theelectronic device 300 subscribes using a mobile country code (MCC) and amobile network code (MNC) set in the subscriber identification module(e.g., the subscriber identification module 196 of FIG. 1 ) of theelectronic device 300. The processor 320 may compare identifierinformation about a cellular network currently used with the identifierinformation about the network to which the electronic device 300subscribes. The processor 320 may determine whether the electronicdevice 300 is in the roaming state on the result of comparing theidentifier information.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the stateinformation about the electronic device 300 may include a tariff plan ofthe cellular network to which the electronic device 300 subscribes. Acellular network operator may provide cellular networks having differentcharacteristics including the total amount of data that the electronicdevice 300 can use via the cellular network, the remaining amount ofdata that the electronic device 300 can use via the cellular network, orthe maximum speed limit of the cellular network depending on a fee paidby the user of the electronic device 300. The electronic device 300 mayreceive the tariff plan of the cellular network from a server operatedby the cellular network operator. The processor 320 may identify thestate information including the remaining amount of data that theelectronic device 300 can transmit and receive on the basis of thetariff plan.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the stateinformation about the electronic device 300 may include locationinformation about the electronic device 300, a tariff plan of thecellular network used by the electronic device 300, or state informationabout the cellular network used by the electronic device 300 (e.g.,information about whether the electronic device 300 is put on roaming).However, the aforementioned examples are provided for illustrativepurposes, and the state information about the electronic device 300 mayinclude various pieces of information.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may determine a criterion for arranging the AP list on the basis of thestate information about the electronic device 300. The criterion forarranging the AP list may include various criteria including a criterionfor listing AP names in alphabetical order, a criterion for listing APsin signal strength (RSSI) order, a criterion for first listing APsavailable to all users without entering a password, a criterion forfirst listing captive portal networks available after authentication, ora criterion for first listing APs available for free. The processor 320may select at least one arrangement criterion from among criteria forarranging the AP list stored in the electronic device 300 on the basisof the state information about the electronic device 300. The processor320 may control the display 330 to display the AP list according to theselected arrangement criterion. The processor 320 may change the AP listusing the selected arrangement criterion. The processor 320 may arrangeat least one AP included in the AP list in order according to theselected arrangement criterion.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may identify whether there is an AP corresponding to the AP informationstored in the memory 340 among the APs included in the AP list. The APlist may include an AP having a history of connection with theelectronic device 300. The AP information stored in the memory 340 mayinclude information about an AP having a history of connection with theelectronic device 300. When the electronic device 300 is connected to anAP, the electronic device 300 may add information about the connected APto the AP information. The processor 320 may identify whether a scannedAP is included in the AP information, and may determine the scanned APas an AP having a history of connection when the scanned AP is includedin the AP information.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, when identifyingthat the scanned AP is included in the AP information stored in thememory 340, the processor 320 may select an arrangement criterion forlisting the identified AP first. The processor 320 may change the APlist such that the identified AP is listed first. Information about theidentified AP is included in the AP information stored in the memory340, and the processor 320 may establish a connection to the identifiedAP using the AP information. When identifying that there is no APcorresponding to the AP information stored in the memory 340, theprocessor 320 may select an arrangement criterion for first listing anopen network, which is a network connectable without entering a passwordor performing an authentication process. The processor 320 may changethe AP list such that the open network is listed first.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, changing the AP listmay mean changing positions where one or more APs included in the APlist are displayed. For example, the processor 320 may display the APlist via the display 330, and may change the AP list such that an APdisplayed at the bottom of the AP list is displayed at the top of the APlist.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may prioritize various criteria on the basis of the state informationabout the electronic device 300 and may change the AP list on the basisof original priorities. For example, the processor 320 may assign ahigher priority to an arrangement criterion for displaying an APproviding an open network first than other arrangement criteria (e.g.,an arrangement criterion for displaying an AP having a higher RSSIfirst) on the basis of state information indicating that the electronicdevice 300 is in the roaming state. The processor 320 may change the APlist using an arrangement criterion having a higher priority.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may control the display 330 to display the AP list according to theselected arrangement criterion. According to certain embodiments of thedisclosure, the electronic device 300 may select at least onearrangement criterion from among a plurality of arrangement criteria onthe basis of the state information about the electronic device 300 andmay change the AP list according to the selected arrangement criterion.The disclosure enables the user to select an AP suitable for variousstates of the electronic device 300 through the AP list changedaccording to the selected arrangement criterion. Certain embodiments ofthe AP list will be illustrated below in the following drawings.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may detect a change in the state of the electronic device 300. Whendetecting a change in the state of the electronic device 300, theprocessor 320 may re-determine a criterion for arranging the AP list andmay change the AP list on the basis of the re-determined arrangementcriterion. For example, the processor 320 may detect that the remainingamount of data that the electronic device 300 can use via the cellularnetwork has changed to be below a preset value. The processor 320 maychange a criterion for arranging the AP list and may change the AP liston the basis of the changed arrangement criterion. In another example,the processor 320 may identify the state of a first network that theelectronic device 300 is using. When identifying that the state of thefirst network does not satisfy a preset condition, the processor 320 mayre-determine a criterion for arranging the AP list and may change the APlist on the basis of the re-determined arrangement criterion. In stillanother example, the processor 320 may monitor the location of theelectronic device 300 measured by the position sensor 176 or thecommunication module 310 of the electronic device 300 and may identifythat the location of the electronic device 300 has changed. Whenidentifying that the location of the electronic device 300 has changed,the processor 320 may re-determine a criterion for arranging the AP listand may change the AP list on the basis of the re-determined arrangementcriterion.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may change the AP list on the basis of the QoS control informationincluded in the AP information. QoS data may include QoS controlinformation in order to provide QoS for wireless LAN data communicationperformed between an AP and the electronic device 300, and the QoS datamay be included in data transmitted by the AP.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the AP may specifyan access category (AC) that the AP can provide in a QoS control fieldand may transmit the QoS control field to the electronic device 300. TheAP may manage packets put in different queues according to the AC andmay preferentially process communication for a queue having a higherpriority.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, when a plurality ofelectronic devices transmits and receives data through one AP, a serviceof a packet transmitted and received by one electronic device 300 of theplurality of electronic devices to and from the AP may be a voice callservice. The voice call service needs to be provided continuously withhigh quality. To this end, the electronic device 300 may assign a highservice rating to the voice call service and may include information onthe assigned service rating in the QoS data. The electronic device 300may transmit the QoS data to the AP. The AP may preferentially process apacket having a high service rating according to the QoS controlinformation included in the QoS data, thereby providing a seamless callservice.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, when a plurality ofelectronic devices using a service having a high service ratingcommunicates with the same AP, communication of an electronic deviceusing a service having a low service rating may not be properlyperformed. The AP may store and analyze the received QoS data, thusstoring overload information due to a packet associated with a servicehaving a high service rating.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, while the electronicdevice 300 is using a service having a low service rating through aWI-FI™ network, the communication speed may be lower than a certainlevel. The electronic device 300 may request, from the AP,

QoS control information including information about the amount ofpackets of a service having a high service rating, which is included inQoS control data about packets transmitted and received by the AP for apreset period, and may change the AP list on the basis of the QoScontrol information of the AP among the received information.

FIG. 4A illustrates an example of an AP list in an electronic deviceaccording to certain embodiments of the disclosure. FIG. 4B illustratesan example of an AP list in an electronic device according to certainembodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B show AP lists displayed on a display (e.g., thedisplay 330 of FIG. 3 ) of an electronic device (e.g., the electronicdevice 300 of FIG. 3 ) according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure. For example, it is assumed that there are five APs (ABC 410,A_private 420, B_private 430, C_private 440, and OpenAP 450) incommunicative proximity to the electronic device 300. It is assumedthat, among the five APs, one AP (Open AP 450) is available withoutrequiring password input or user authentication, and four Aps (ABC 410,A_private 420, B_private 430, and C_private 440) require password inputor user authentication.

Referring to FIG. 4A, the display 330 may display four APs (ABC 410,A_private 420, B_private 430, and C_private 430) of the five Aps, due tothe limited size of the display area for displaying an AP list. (440)).FIG. 4A illustrates an example in which an AP list is displayedaccording to a criteria for arranging AP names in alphabetical order.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, a processor (e.g.,the processor 320 of FIG. 3 ) may identify state information about theelectronic device 300. For example, the processor 320 may identify thatthe electronic device 300 is in a roaming state. When the electronicdevice 300 is in the roaming state, it may be desirable to use ashort-range communication network. Referring to FIG. 4A, all the APsdisplayed on the display 330 may require password input or userauthentication. The AP 450 which does not require password input or userauthentication may not be displayed due to the limited size of thedisplay 330 or may be displayed at the bottom of the displayed AP list.Thus, the user of the electronic device 300 may encounter difficulty inselecting the AP 450, which is an open network available withoutrequiring user authentication.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may identify the state information about the electronic device 300. Forexample, the processor 320 may identify that the electronic device 300is in the roaming state. The processor 320 may determine a criterion forarranging the AP list on the basis of the state information about theelectronic device 300. For example, the processor 320 may determine anarrangement criterion for first displaying an AP available withoutrequiring password input or user authentication and may change the APlist on the basis of the arrangement criterion.

Referring to FIG. 4B, an AP (Open AP 450) available without requiringpassword input or user authentication may be displayed on the top of theAP list before the APs (ABC 410, A_private 420, B_private 430, andC_private 440) requiring password input or user authentication. The usermay select the AP (Open AP 450) available without requiring passwordinput or user authentication, and the processor 320 may control thecommunication module 310 to establish a connection with the selected AP(Open AP 450).

The electronic device 300 according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure may select a different arrangement criterion according to thestate information about the electronic device 300 and may change an APlist on the basis of the selected arrangement criterion, therebyefficiently selecting and connecting a network suitable for a situationor enabling the user to select the network.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of an AP list for proposing a connectionto a network other than a currently connected network in an electronicdevice according to certain embodiments of the disclosure.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, an electronic device(e.g., the electronic device 300 of FIG. 3 ) may change an AP list onthe basis of state information about the electronic device 300 and mayoutput a message for proposing a connection to one AP among APs includedin the changed AP list. A processor (e.g., the processor 320 of FIG. 3 )may output, through the display 330 of the electronic device 300, amessage 510 about whether to connect to an AP to which the electronicdevice 300 can connect among the APs included in the AP list on thebasis of the state information about the electronic device 300.According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the message 510 mayinclude at least one of identification information 530 about arecommended AP among connectable APs or the state information 520 aboutthe electronic device 300. For example, the state information 520 mayinclude various pieces of information including information indicatingthe roaming state of the electronic device 300 or information indicatingthat it is impossible to connect to a cellular network.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the message 510 may include a tariff plan (e.g.,information indicating that the remaining amount of data available viathe cellular network is insufficient), which is the state information520 about the electronic device 300, and identification information 530(e.g., SSID or MAC address) of the recommended AP. The electronic device300 may receive user input to connect the recommended AP. When receivingthe user input, the processor 320 may control a communication module(e.g., the communication module 310 of FIG. 3 ) to perform a series ofoperations to connect the recommended AP.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may output a message for proposing a connectable AP in various forms onthe basis of the state information about the electronic device 300. Asillustrated in FIG. 5 , the message may be output as a pop-up message.Alternatively, the message for proposing the connectable AP may beoutput through a speaker (not shown) of the electronic device 300. Inresponse to user input to select a connectable AP through a microphone(not shown), the electronic device 300 may perform a series ofoperations to connect with the selected AP.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may control the communication module 310 to connect to a proposed AP inresponse to user input to connect to a connectable AP (e.g., user inputto select a Connect 540 button).

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may control the communication module 310 to maintain a currentlyconnected network, instead of connecting a proposed AP, in response touser input not to connect to a connectable AP (e.g., user input toselect a Cancel 550 button).

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may control the communication module 310 to automatically connect to arecommended AP according to user settings to automatically connect to arecommended AP.

FIG. 6A illustrates various modes of displaying an AP list or arecommended AP in an electronic device according to certain embodimentsof the disclosure. FIG. 6B illustrates various modes of displaying an APlist or a recommended AP in an electronic device according to certainembodiments of the disclosure. FIG. 6C illustrates various modes ofdisplaying an AP list or a recommended AP in an electronic deviceaccording to certain embodiments of the disclosure. FIG. 6D illustratesvarious modes of displaying an AP list or a recommended AP in anelectronic device according to certain embodiments of the disclosure.

A processor (e.g., the processor 320 of FIG. 3 ) of an electronic device(e.g., the electronic device 300 of FIG. 3 ) according to certainembodiments of the disclosure may display an AP list changed on thebasis of state information about the electronic device 300 in variousforms. FIG. 6A to FIG. 6D show various modes of displaying the changedAP list.

Referring to FIG. 6A, the processor 320 may provide an access area 610to activate or deactivate various functions (e.g., a short-rangecommunication network activation function, a BLUETOOTH™ activationfunction, a sound output mode selection function, a screen switchfunction according to the position change of the electronic device 300,or an airplane mode switch function) that the electronic device 300 canprovide on a display (e.g., the display 330 of FIG. 3 ).

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may display an AP list 613 in response to user input to select an icon611 for turning on or off the short-range communication networkactivation function on the access area 610. According to an embodiment,the processor 320 may display the AP list 613 in response to user inputto execute an option to configure a short-range communication network.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may display the AP list 613 changed according to an arrangementcriterion determined on the basis of the state information about theelectronic device 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the AP list 613 maydisplay information about some APs 615 among APs included in the AP listchanged according to the determined arrangement criterion. Some APs mayinclude APs disposed at the top of the AP list changed according to thearrangement criterion determined on the basis of the state information.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may display information about all APs included in the AP list inresponse to user input to select a button 617 for displaying undisplayedAPs.

Referring to FIG. 6B, the processor 320 may display information 623about a recommended AP in an information display area 621 communicativeproximity to the state information 620 about the electronic device 300(e.g., the remaining battery capacity, the receiver sensitivity of acellular network connected to the electronic device 300, or time)displayed at the top of the display 330. The processor 320 may determinean AP having the highest priority among the APs included in the AP listas the recommended AP and may display information including at leastpart of the information 623 about the recommended AP in the informationdisplay area 621. The processor 320 may control the communication module310 to perform a series of operations to connect with the selected AP inresponse to user input 625 to establish a connection to the displayedAP.

Referring to FIG. 6C, the processor 320 may display the informationincluding information 631 about an AP, recommended on the basis of thestate information about the electronic device 300, in a pop-up form 630.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may display the pop-up form 630 including the information 631 about theAP having the highest priority among the APs included in the AP list.The processor 320 may control the communication module 310 to perform aseries of operations to connect with the selected AP in response to userinput 633 to establish a connection to the displayed AP.

Referring to FIG. 6D, the processor 320 may display, in a pop-up form,an AP list 640 changed according to an arrangement criterion determinedon the basis of the state information about the electronic device 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may display information 641 about one or more APs included in thechanged AP list 640 in a pop-up form. The processor 320 may control thecommunication module 310 to perform a series of operations to connectwith a selected AP in response to user input to select one AP from theone or more APs.

FIG. 7A illustrates an example in which an electronic device displays anAP list generated on the basis of AP information received from anexternal server according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. FIG.7B illustrates an example in which an electronic device displays an APlist generated on the basis of AP information received from an externalserver according to certain embodiments of the disclosure.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, an electronic device(e.g., the electronic device 300 of FIG. 3 ) may transmit AP informationcollected by the electronic device 300 to an external server (e.g., theserver 108 of FIG. 1 ). The external server may manage at least onepiece of AP information. The external server 108 may collect informationabout an AP from a plurality of electronic devices having accessed theAP. The external server 108 may generate and manage AP information usingthe collected information. The external server 108 may transmit, to theelectronic device 300, additional AP information corresponding to an APidentifier (e.g., the SSID of an AP or the MAC address of an AP)included in the AP information transmitted by the electronic device 300.The additional information stored by the external server 108 may includeat least one of network quality information about an AP, locationinformation about an AP, or information indicating whether to setencryption of an AP.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, a processor (e.g.,the processor 320 of FIG. 3 ) of the electronic device 300 may providethe additional AP information received from the external server alongwith an AP list.

Referring to FIG. 7A, the processor 320 may display an AP list 710 onthe display 330. The AP list 710 may include one or more pieces of APinformation. The AP information may include the RSSI 711-a, 711-b,711-c, 711-d, or 711-e of each AP, the identifier 713-a, 713-b, 713-c,713-d, or 713-e of each AP (the name, SSID, or MAC address of each AP),or information 715 indicating whether user authentication is required.According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may display the additional AP information received from the externalserver 108 along with the AP information included in the AP list 710.For example, the processor 320 may display information 717 indicatingthat a network provided by an AP is available after viewing theadvertisement, which is additional information associated with the APhaving an identifier of CommercialWiFi 713-c from the external server108, near to AP information associated with the additional information.In another example, the processor 320 may display information 719indicating that a network provided by an AP is available after webauthentication, which is additional information associated with the APhaving an identifier of SeoulWiFi_5G 713-e from the external server 108,near to AP information associated with the additional information.

Referring to FIG. 7B, the processor 320 may display an AP list 720 onthe display 330. The processor 320 may display the additionalinformation (e.g., the information 717 indicating that a networkprovided by an AP is available after viewing the advertisement or theinformation 719 indicating that a network provided by an AP is availableafter web authentication) received from the external server (not shown)on the AP list 720.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may also display an indicator indicating that the additional informationhas been received from the external server (e.g., the server 108 of FIG.1 ). Referring to FIG. 7B, the processor 320 may display indicators 725and 727 indicating that the additional information has been received viathe external server 108.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may display the additional information received from the external server108 on the AP list 710 or 720, thereby assisting the user in selectingan AP to use.

Referring to FIG. 7C, FIG. 7C illustrates an example in which anelectronic device displays an AP list displays an AP list generated onthe basis of AP information received from an external server, furtherincluding information regarding an open access point. As seen therein,an “OpenAP” 735 is displayed with a textual warning 737 that “suspiciousactivity is detected.” The warning can be supplemented by a warningimage 733 prompting to a user that connection to OpenAP 735 is eitherdiscouraged or forbidden. As with the other access networks, a RSSI icon731 may indicate a strength of signal of the OpenAP network.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example in which an electronic device displays anAP list on an external electronic device connected with the electronicdevice according to certain embodiments of the disclosure.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, an electronic device(e.g., the electronic device 300 of FIG. 3 ) may transmit an AP listchanged on the basis of state information about the electronic device300 or information about a recommended AP to an external electronicdevice 800 (e.g., a wearable device) connected with the electronicdevice 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the externalelectronic device 800 may display the AP list or the information aboutthe recommended AP, received from the electronic device 300, on adisplay 810. There is no limit to methods for displaying the received APlist or information about the recommended AP. For example, the externalelectronic device 800 may display a message 820 for identifying whetherto connect with an AP having the highest priority among a plurality ofAPs included in the AP list. In another example, the external electronicdevice 800 may display information about the plurality of APs includedin the AP list.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the externalelectronic device 800 may display the message 820 for recommending an APhaving the highest priority among the APs included in the AP list. Theexternal electronic device 800 may transmit an indicator indicating aconnection to an AP to the electronic device 300 in response to userinput to establish a connection to the displayed AP. The electronicdevice 300 may control the communication module 310 to perform a seriesof operations to connect with the selected AP.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the externalelectronic device 800 may transmit the AP list or the information aboutthe recommended AP to a different external electronic device (notshown).

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the externalelectronic device 800 may receive the AP list or the information aboutthe recommended AP from the electronic device 800 using various networks(e.g., a WI-FI™ network or a BLUETOOTH™ network) supporting apeer-to-peer (P2P) method. The external electronic device 800 mayperform network discovery, may establish a connection with thediscovered electronic device 300 as a result of network discovery, andmay receive the AP list from the electronic device 300. The externalelectronic device 800 may transmit the received AP list or informationabout the recommended AP to a different external electronic device.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the externalelectronic device 800 may retrieve the electronic device 300 that sharesnetwork information using a neighbor awareness network (NAN) discoveryprocedure and may receive the AP list of the information about therecommended AP from the retrieved electronic device 300. The externalelectronic device 800 may transmit the AP list or the information aboutthe recommended AP to a different external electronic device (not shown)using a WI-FI™ direct or BLUETOOTH™ method. The different externalelectronic device may receive the AP list or the information about therecommended AP, and may request further information from the externalelectronic device 800 or an external server (not shown) if there is moreinformation utilized to establish a connection with an AP.

An electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 300 of FIG. 3 )according to certain embodiments of the disclosure may include: at leastone communication module (e.g., the communication module 310 of FIG. 3); a display (e.g., the display 330 of FIG. 3 ); a memory (e.g., thememory 340 of FIG. 3 ); and a processor (e.g., the processor 320 of FIG.3 ) configured to be operatively connected to the communication module310, the display 330, and the memory 340, such that the processor 320may receive access point (AP) information from at least one AP throughthe communication module, may generate an AP list including an APconnectable with the electronic device 300 on the basis of the receivedAP information, may store the AP list in the memory 340, may identify astate of the electronic device, may determine an arrangement criterionfor the AP list on the basis of state information about the electronicdevice, and may control the display 330 to display the AP list accordingto the determined arrangement criterion.

In the electronic device 300 according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure, the processor 320 may be configured to determine a priorityof a plurality of arrangement criteria on the basis of the stateinformation about the electronic device 300 and to change the AP list onthe basis of the determined priority.

In the electronic device 300 according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure, the processor 320 may be configured to detect a change inthe state information, to change the arrangement criterion for the APlist upon detecting the change in the state information, and to changethe AP list on the basis of the changed arrangement criterion.

In the electronic device 300 according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure, the processor 320 may be configured to receive the APinformation from an external electronic device that stores the APinformation.

In the electronic device 300 according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure, the processor 320 may be configured to transmit the changedAP list to an external electronic device (e.g., the external electronicdevice 800 of FIG. 8 ) so that the changed AP list is displayed on theexternal electronic device 800 connected with the electronic device 300.

In the electronic device 300 according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure, the state information may include connection historyinformation of the electronic device 300 about the at least one AP, andthe processor 320 may be configured to determine the arrangementcriterion for the AP list on the basis of the connection historyinformation about the AP.

In the electronic device 300 according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure, the state information may include a tariff plan of a networkused by the electronic device 300, and the processor 320 may beconfigured to determine the arrangement criterion for the AP list on thebasis of the tariff plan.

In the electronic device 300 according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure, the state information may include information indicatingwhether the electronic device 300 is put on roaming, and the processor320 may be configured to determine the arrangement criterion for the APlist on the basis of the information indicating whether the electronicdevice is put on roaming.

In the electronic device 300 according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure, the processor 320 may be configured to identify stateinformation about a first network connected with the electronic device300, to change a priority of at least one AP capable of using anothernetwork on the basis of the state information about the first network,and to display the AP list changed according to the changed priority.

An electronic device 300 according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure may include: at least one communication module 310; a display330; a memory 340; and a processor 320 configured to be operativelyconnected to the communication module 310, the display 330, and thememory 340, such that the processor 320 may receive AP information aboutat least one AP connectable with the electronic device 300 through thecommunication module, may display an AP list based on the received APinformation, may detect a change in a state of the electronic device300, may determine an arrangement criterion for the AP list upondetecting the change in the state of the electronic device 300, and maycontrol the display 330 to display the AP list according to thedetermined arrangement criterion.

In the electronic device 300 according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure, the processor 320 may be configured to receive the APinformation from an external electronic device that stores the APinformation, to generate the AP list on the basis of the AP information,and to store the AP list in the memory.

In the electronic device 300 according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure, the state information may include a tariff plan of a networkused by the electronic device 300, and the processor 320 may beconfigured to determine the arrangement criterion for the AP list on thebasis of the tariff plan.

In the electronic device 300 according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure, the state information may include information indicatingwhether the electronic device is put on roaming, and the processor 320may configured to determine the arrangement criterion for the AP list onthe basis of the information indicating whether the electronic device isput on roaming.

In the electronic device 300 according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure, the processor 320 may be configured to identify stateinformation about a first network connected with the electronic device,to change a priority of at least one AP capable of using another networkon the basis of the state information about the first network, and todisplay the AP list changed according to the changed priority.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operating method of an electronicdevice according to certain embodiments of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 9 , an operating method of an electronic device (e.g.,the electronic device 300 of FIG. 3 ) according to certain embodimentsof the disclosure may receive AP information in operation 910.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the AP informationmay include various pieces of information about an AP, such as the SSID,BSSID, MAC address, a frequency band, channel bandwidth information, orlocation information of the AP. For example, the AP information may beincluded in a beacon frame broadcast by the AP. The beacon frame may bebroadcasted by the AP every preset period, and the AP may transmit thebeacon frame to the electronic device 300 in response to a request fromthe electronic device 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the AP informationmay include additional information that is transmitted by an externalserver (e.g., the server 108 of FIG. 1 ) connected with the electronicdevice 300. The additional information transmitted by the externalserver 108 may include at least one of network quality information aboutthe AP, location information about the AP, or information indicatingwhether to set encryption of the AP.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 920,the electronic device 300 may generate an AP list including one or morecommunicatively connectable APs on the basis of the received APinformation.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 930,the electronic device 300 may identify the state of the electronicdevice 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, state informationabout the electronic device 300 may include location information aboutthe electronic device 300, a tariff plan of a cellular network used bythe electronic device 300 or state information about the cellularnetwork used by the electronic device 300 (information about whether theelectronic device 300 is put on roaming). However, the aforementionedexamples are provided for illustrative purposes, and the stateinformation about the electronic device 300 may include various piecesof information.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 940,the electronic device 300 may determine a criterion for arranging the APlist on the basis of the state information about the electronic device300. That is, a display order of APs included in the AP list may bechanged or reordered according to the determined criterion.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice 300 may store various criteria for arranging the AP list in thememory 340 and may select at least one arrangement criterion from amongthe various criteria on the basis of the state information about theelectronic device 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the criterion forarranging the AP list may include various criteria including a criterionfor listing AP names in alphabetical order, a criterion for listing APsin signal strength (RSSI) order, a criterion for first listing APsavailable to all users without entering a password, a criterion forfirst listing captive portal networks available after authentication, ora criterion for first listing APs available for free.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, when identifyingthat there is an AP corresponding to the AP information stored in thememory 340, the electronic device 300 may select an arrangementcriterion for listing the identified AP first. The AP list may includean AP having a history of connection with the electronic device 300. TheAP information stored in the memory 340 may include information aboutthe AP having the history of connection with the electronic device 300.The processor 320 may change the AP list such that the identified AP islisted first. When identifying that there is no AP corresponding to theAP information stored in the memory 340, the processor 320 may select anarrangement criterion for listing an AP corresponding to an opennetwork, which is a network connectable without entering a password orperforming an authentication process, listing APs in signal strengthorder, or listing AP names in alphabetical order. The processor 320 maychange the AP list such that the open network is listed first.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 950,the electronic device 300 may change the AP list (e.g., changing adisplay order of APs included in the AP list) according to thedetermined arrangement criterion. According to certain embodiments ofthe disclosure, the processor 320 may change the AP list using theselected arrangement criterion. The processor 320 may arrange at leastone AP included in the AP list according to the selected arrangementcriterion (or a plurality of APs included in the AP list, sorting theminto a different arrangement).

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 960,the electronic device 300 may display the changed AP list on a display(e.g., the display 330 of FIG. 3 ).

FIG. 10 illustrates an example of displaying a network list forconnecting a different network in an operating method of an electronicdevice according to certain embodiments of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 10 , in operation 1010 of an operating method of anelectronic device (e.g., the electronic device 300 of FIG. 3 ) accordingto certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronic device 300 mayconnect to a first network.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the first networkmay include various networks, such as a cellular network, a short-rangecommunication network, and the like. The electronic device 300 maytransmit and receive data through a connection with the first network.The electronic device 300 may establish a connection to the firstnetwork via user input to communicatively connect to the first networkor without user input.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice 300 may connect to the first network when a particularapplication is executed. For example, the electronic device 300 mayconnect to the first network when a video streaming program is executed.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 1020,the electronic device 300 may identify state information about the firstnetwork.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the stateinformation about the first network may include information about costthat a user needs to pay to use the first network, the connection stateof the first network, or quality information about the first network.The electronic device 300 may identify the state information about thefirst network on the basis of subscription information stored in thesubscriber identification module 196 of the electronic device 300,information about an operator of the first network, or various pieces ofinformation received from a server operated by the operator of the firstnetwork.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 1030,the electronic device 300 may determine whether the state informationabout the first network satisfies a preset criterion.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice 300 may determine whether the information about the cost that theuser needs to pay included in the state information about the firstnetwork is less than a preset amount of money.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice 300 may determine whether the quality information about the firstnetwork included in the state information about the first networksatisfies a preset quality.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the first networkmay have security settings, such as a restriction on a connection usinga particular site or a particular port, depending on settings by theoperator of the first network. For example, settings to restrict aconnection to a port used for various applications (e.g., a messagetransmission application) may be applied to an AP in a company'sworkplace in order to enhance network security. The electronic device300 may identify whether it is possible to use a particular applicationusing the first network included in the state information about thefirst network.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice 300 may detect execution of the particular application or mayperiodically identify whether it is possible to use the particularapplication using the first network.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 1040,when determining that the state information about the first network doesnot satisfy the preset criterion, the electronic device 300 may retrievea second network communicatively connectable with the electronic device300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice 300 may determine that the state information about the firstnetwork does not satisfy the preset criterion and may retrieve thesecond network switchable from the first network.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the second networkmay be a short-range communication network provided by an AP locatedwithin a preset distance from the electronic device 300. For example,the second network may include various short-range communicationnetworks, such as a WI-FI™ network or a ZIGBEE™ network.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice 300 may determine that the cost that the user needs to payincluded in the state information about the first network is not lessthan the preset amount of money and may retrieve the second networkswitchable from the first network.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice 300 may determine that the quality information about the firstnetwork included in the state information about the first network doesnot satisfy the preset quality and may retrieve the second networkswitchable from the first network.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, when determiningthat it is impossible to use the particular application using the firstnetwork included in the state information about the first network, theelectronic device 300 may retrieve the second network switchable fromthe first network.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 1050,the electronic device 300 may generate a list of the second network.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the list of thesecond network may refer to an AP list including APs to which theelectronic device 300 is connectable. The list of the second network maybe generated on the basis of AP information about each of the APs towhich the electronic device 300 is connectable. The AP information mayinclude various pieces of information about an AP including the SSID,BSSID, MAC address, frequency band, channel bandwidth information, orlocation information of the AP. The AP information may be included in abeacon signal broadcast by an AP connectable with the electronic device300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice 300 may retrieve the second network connectable with theelectronic device 300 and may request information about the retrievedsecond network from an external server 108. The electronic device 300may generate the list of the second network using the information aboutthe second network transmitted by the external server 108.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 1060,the electronic device 300 may determine a criterion for arranging thelist of the second network on the basis of state information about theelectronic device 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice 300 may store various arrangement criteria for the list of thesecond network in the memory 340 and may select at least one of thevarious arrangement criteria on the basis of the state of the electronicdevice 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the arrangementcriteria for the list of the second network may include variouscriteria, such as a criterion for listing AP names in alphabeticalorder, a criterion for listing APs in signal strength (RSSI) order, acriterion for first listing APs available to all users without enteringa password, a criterion for first listing captive portal networksavailable after authentication, or a criterion for first listing APsavailable for free.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, when identifyingthat there is an AP corresponding to the AP information stored in thememory 340, the electronic device 300 may select an arrangementcriterion for listing the identified AP first. The processor 320 maychange the list of the second network such that the identified AP islisted first. When identifying that there is no AP corresponding to theAP information stored in the memory 340, the processor 320 may select anarrangement criterion for listing an AP corresponding to an opennetwork, which is a network connectable without entering a password orperforming an authentication process, listing APs in signal strengthorder, or listing AP names in alphabetical order. For example, theprocessor 320 may change the list of the second network such that theopen network is listed first.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 1070,the electronic device 300 may change the list of the second network onthe basis of the determined arrangement criterion (e.g., changing anarrangement of elements included in the list of the second network).

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may change the list of the second network using the selected arrangementcriterion. The processor 320 may arrange at least one AP included in thelist of the second network according to the selected arrangementcriterion.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 1080,the electronic device 300 may display the changed list of the secondnetwork on a display (e.g., the display 330 of FIG. 3 ).

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice 300 may retrieve the second network before establishing acommunicative connection to the first network, in which case operation1040 may be omitted.

FIG. 11 illustrates an example in which an AP list is changed dependingon a change in the state of an electronic device in an operating methodof an electronic device according to certain embodiments of thedisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 11 , in operation 1110 of an operating method of anelectronic device (e.g., the electronic device 300 of FIG. 3 ) accordingto certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronic device 300 maydisplay an AP list including at least one AP communicatively connectablewith the electronic device 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the AP listdisplayed in operation 1110 may be an AP list which is completelyarranged on the basis of at least one arrangement criterion amongvarious arrangement criteria stored in a memory (e.g., the memory 340 ofFIG. 3 ) of the electronic device 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 1120,the electronic device 300 may detect a change in the state of theelectronic device 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, state informationabout the electronic device 300 may include location information aboutthe electronic device 300, a tariff plan of a cellular network used bythe electronic device 300, state information about the cellular networkused by the electronic device 300 (e.g., whether the electronic device300 is put on roaming), information about an application being used inthe electronic device 300, or motion information about the electronicdevice 300. However, the aforementioned examples are provided forillustrative purposes, and the state information about the electronicdevice 300 may include various pieces of information.

For example, the electronic device 300 may detect a switch to a roamingstate in which the operator of a cellular network used by the electronicdevice 300 is changed. In another example, the electronic device 300 maydetect a switch to a state in which the remaining amount oftransmittable and receivable data provided by the operator of thecellular network is reduced to a preset value or less. In still anotherexample, the electronic device 300 may detect that the electronic device300 moves from an existing location to a different location.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 1130,the electronic device 300 may determine an arrangement criterion for theAP list on the basis of the changed state information about theelectronic device 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the electronicdevice 300 may store various arrangement criteria for the AP list in thememory 340 and may select at least one arrangement criterion from amongthe various arrangement criteria on the basis of the changed stateinformation about the electronic device 300.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the arrangementcriteria of the AP list may include various criteria, such as acriterion for listing AP names in alphabetical order, a criterion forlisting APs in signal strength (RSSI) order, a criterion for firstlisting APs available to all users without entering a password, acriterion for first listing captive portal networks available afterauthentication, or a criterion for first listing APs available for free.There may be a plurality of arrangement criteria for the AP list, eachof which may have a weight. The electronic device 300 may change the APlist using a weight that is set for each of the plurality of arrangementcriteria or by applying a different weight on the basis of the state ofthe electronic device.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, when identifyingthat there is an AP corresponding to the AP information stored in thememory 340, the electronic device 300 may select an arrangementcriterion for listing the identified AP first. The processor 320 maychange the AP list such that the identified AP is listed first. Whenidentifying that there is no AP corresponding to the AP informationstored in the memory 340, the processor 320 may select an arrangementcriterion for listing an AP corresponding to an open network, which is anetwork connectable without entering a password or performing anauthentication process, listing APs in signal strength order, or listingAP names in alphabetical order. The processor 320 may change the AP listsuch that the open network is listed first.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 1140,the electronic device 300 may change the AP list on the basis of thedetermined arrangement criterion (e.g., changing a display order orarrangement of APs listed within the AP list based on the arrangementcriterion).

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, the processor 320may change the AP list using the selected arrangement criterion. Theprocessor 320 may arrange at least one AP included in the AP listaccording to the selected arrangement criterion and/or multiplearrangement criterions, if selected for use.

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, in operation 1150,the electronic device 300 may display the changed AP list on a display(e.g., the display 330 of FIG. 3 ).

An operating method of an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device300 of FIG. 3 ) according to certain embodiments of the disclosure mayinclude: receiving access point (AP) information about at least one APconnectable with the electronic device 300 through a wirelesscommunication module (e.g., the communication module 310 of FIG. 3 );generating an AP list including the AP connectable with the electronicdevice 300 on the basis of the received AP information and storing theAP list in a memory (e.g., the memory 340 of FIG. 3 ); identifying stateinformation about the electronic device 300; determining an arrangementcriterion for the AP list on the basis of the identified stateinformation; changing the AP list on the basis of the determinedarrangement criterion; and displaying the changed AP list on a display(e.g., the display 330 of FIG. 3 ).

The operating method of the electronic device 300 according to certainembodiments of the disclosure may further include: detecting a change inthe state information; changing the arrangement criterion for the APlist upon detecting the change in the state information; and changingthe AP list on the basis of the changed arrangement criterion.

The operating method of the electronic device 300 according to certainembodiments of the disclosure may further include: determining apriority of a plurality of arrangement criteria on the basis of thestate information about the electronic device 300; and changing the APlist on the basis of the determined priority.

In the operating method of the electronic device 300 according tocertain embodiments of the disclosure, the state information may includea tariff plan of a network used by the electronic device 300, and thedetermining of the arrangement criterion for the AP list includesdetermining the arrangement criterion for the AP list on the basis ofthe tariff plan.

In the operating method of the electronic device 300 according tocertain embodiments of the disclosure, the state information may includeinformation indicating whether the electronic device 300 is put onroaming, and the determining of the arrangement criterion for the APlist includes determining the arrangement criterion for the AP list onthe basis of the information indicating whether the electronic device isput on roaming.

The operating method of the electronic device 300 according to certainembodiments of the disclosure may further include: identifying stateinformation about a first network connected with the electronic device300; changing a priority of at least one AP (and/or respectivepriorities for each of multiple APs) capable of using another network onthe basis of the state information about the first network; anddisplaying the AP list changed according to the changed priority.

The electronic device according to certain embodiments may be one ofvarious types of electronic devices. The electronic devices may include,for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), acomputer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medicaldevice, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. According toan embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic devices are not limitedto those described above.

It should be appreciated that certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure and the terms used therein are not intended to limit thetechnological features set forth herein to particular embodiments andinclude various changes, equivalents, or replacements for acorresponding embodiment. With regard to the description of thedrawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar orrelated elements. It is to be understood that a singular form of a nouncorresponding to an item may include one or more of the things, unlessthe relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, eachof such phrases as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one ofA or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least oneof A, B, or C,” may include any one of, or all possible combinations ofthe items enumerated together in a corresponding one of the phrases. Asused herein, such terms as “1st” and “2nd,” or “first” and “second” maybe used to simply distinguish a corresponding component from another,and does not limit the components in other aspect (e.g., importance ororder). It is to be understood that if an element (e.g., a firstelement) is referred to, with or without the term “operatively” or“communicatively”, as “coupled with,” “coupled to,” “connected with,” or“connected to” another element (e.g., a second element), it means thatthe element may be coupled with the other element directly (e.g.,wiredly), wirelessly, or via a third element.

As used herein, the term “module” may include a unit implemented inhardware, software, or firmware, and may interchangeably be used withother terms, for example, “logic,” “logic block,” “part,” or“circuitry”. A module may be a single integral component, or a minimumunit or part thereof, adapted to perform one or more functions. Forexample, according to an embodiment, the module may be implemented in aform of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Certain embodiments as set forth herein may be implemented as software(e.g., the program 140) including one or more instructions that arestored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 136 or external memory138) that is readable by a machine (e.g., the electronic device 101).For example, a processor (e.g., the processor 120) of the machine (e.g.,the electronic device 101) may invoke at least one of the one or moreinstructions stored in the storage medium, and execute it, with orwithout using one or more other components under the control of theprocessor. This allows the machine to be operated to perform at leastone function according to the at least one instruction invoked. The oneor more instructions may include a code generated by a complier or acode executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage mediummay be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Wherein,the term “non-transitory” simply means that the storage medium is atangible device, and does not include a signal (e.g., an electromagneticwave), but this term does not differentiate between where data issemi-permanently stored in the storage medium and where the data istemporarily stored in the storage medium.

According to an embodiment, a method according to certain embodiments ofthe disclosure may be included and provided in a computer programproduct. The computer program product may be traded as a product betweena seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed inthe form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc readonly memory (CD-ROM)), or be distributed (e.g., downloaded or uploaded)online via an application store (e.g., PlayStore™), or between two userdevices (e.g., smart phones) directly. If distributed online, at leastpart of the computer program product may be temporarily generated or atleast temporarily stored in the machine-readable storage medium, such asmemory of the manufacturer's server, a server of the application store,or a relay server.

According to certain embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or aprogram) of the above-described components may include a single entityor multiple entities. According to certain embodiments, one or more ofthe above-described components may be omitted, or one or more othercomponents may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality ofcomponents (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a singlecomponent. In such a case, according to certain embodiments, theintegrated component may still perform one or more functions of each ofthe plurality of components in the same or similar manner as they areperformed by a corresponding one of the plurality of components beforethe integration. According to certain embodiments, operations performedby the module, the program, or another component may be carried outsequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or moreof the operations may be executed in a different order or omitted, orone or more other operations may be added.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable communication device, comprising: adisplay; a memory; a wireless communication circuit configured toperform short range wireless communication; a processor operativelyconnected to the display, the memory and the wireless communicationcircuit, the processor configured to: receive access point (AP)information via the wireless communication circuit; generate an AP listincluding one or more APs communicatively connectable with the portablecommunication device based on the AP information; determine a displayorder of the one or more APs included in the AP list based on at leastone of a plurality of arrangement criterions including a firstarrangement criterion and a second arrangement criterion, the firstarrangement criterion related to connection history between the portablecommunication device and a corresponding AP of the one or more APs, andthe second arrangement criterion related to a security type of thecorresponding AP indicating whether the corresponding AP is availablewithout authentication; and display, via the display, the one or moreAPs based on the display order.
 2. The portable communication device ofclaim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: perform the determiningof the display order further based on a first priority for the firstarrangement criterion and a second priority for the second arrangementcriterion.
 3. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein theone or more APs includes a first AP available without authentication anda second AP available after authentication, and wherein the processor isconfigured to: perform the determining of the display order such thatthe first AP is to be located below the second AP in the display order.4. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the processoris configured to: perform the receiving of the AP information using afirst short range wireless communication protocol; and transmit anotherAP information corresponding to the one or more APs to another portablecommunication device other than the one or more APs using a second shortrange wireless communication protocol different from the first shortrange wireless communication protocol.
 5. The portable communicationdevice of claim 4, wherein the first short range wireless communicationprotocol includes a WiFi-based protocol, and the second short rangewireless communication protocol includes a Bluetooth-based protocol. 6.The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor isconfigured to: receive, as at least part of the AP information, first APinformation related to the corresponding AP from the corresponding APusing a first short range wireless communication protocol, and second APinformation related to the corresponding AP from another portablecommunication device other than the corresponding AP using a secondshort range wireless communication protocol.
 7. The portablecommunication device of claim 6, wherein the second short range wirelesscommunication protocol includes a Bluetooth-based protocol.
 8. Theportable communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor isconfigured to: display information associated with the security typeindicating whether the corresponding AP is available withoutauthentication, as a part of the AP list.
 9. The portable communicationdevice of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: displayinformation indicating that suspicious activity is detected in relatedwith the corresponding AP, as a part of the AP list.
 10. The portablecommunication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:change the display order based at least in part on network stateinformation corresponding to a network connected with the portablecommunication device via the corresponding AP.
 11. The portablecommunication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:transmit the AP list to another portable communication device other thanthe one or more APs such that the AP list is to be displayed via theother portable communication device.
 12. The portable communicationdevice of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to: select an APfrom the one or more APs based at least in part on a user input receivedvia the other portable communication device; and establish a short rangewireless communication connection between the portable communicationdevice and the selected AP.
 13. An operating method of a portablecommunication device, comprising: receiving access point (AP)information via a wireless communication circuit; generating an AP listincluding one or more APs communicatively connectable with the portablecommunication device based on the AP information; determining a displayorder of the one or more APs included in the AP list based on at leastone of a plurality of arrangement criterions including a firstarrangement criterion and a second arrangement criterion, the firstarrangement criterion related to connection history between the portablecommunication device and a corresponding AP of the one or more APs, andthe second arrangement criterion related to a security type of thecorresponding AP indicating whether the corresponding AP is availablewithout authentication; and displaying, via a display, the one or moreAPs based on the display order.
 14. The operation method of claim 13,further comprising: performing the determining of the display orderfurther based on a first priority for the first arrangement criterionand a second priority for the second arrangement criterion.
 15. Theoperation method of claim 13, wherein the one or more APs includes afirst AP available without authentication and a second AP availableafter authentication, and wherein the method further comprises:performing the determining of the display order such that the first APis to be located below the second AP in the display order.
 16. Theoperation method of claim 13, further comprising: performing thereceiving of the AP information using a first short range wirelesscommunication protocol; and transmitting another AP informationcorresponding to the one or more APs to another portable communicationdevice other than the one or more APs using a second short rangewireless communication protocol different from the first short rangewireless communication protocol.
 17. The operation method of claim 16,wherein the first short range wireless communication protocol includes aWiFi-based protocol, and the second short range wireless communicationprotocol includes a Bluetooth-based protocol.
 18. The operation methodof claim 13, further comprising: receiving, as at least part of the APinformation, first AP information related to the corresponding AP fromthe corresponding AP using a first short range wireless communicationprotocol, and second AP information related to the corresponding AP fromanother portable communication device other than the corresponding APusing a second short range wireless communication protocol.
 19. Theoperation method of claim 18, wherein the second short range wirelesscommunication protocol includes a Bluetooth-based protocol.
 20. Theoperation method of claim 13, further comprising: displaying informationassociated with the security type indicating whether the correspondingAP is available without authentication, as a part of the AP list.